"THE FINEST ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGIST OF HIS AGE"
ROKITANSKY, CARL.
Handbuch der allgemeinen pathologischen Anatomie. 3 vols.
Wien (Vienna), Braunmüller & Seidel, 1842, 1844 & 1846.
8vo. 3 volumes uniformly bound in contemporary half cloth with gilt lettering to spine. Spines discoloured and light wear to capitals. Stamp to first and last leaf in all volumes. Exlibris (Jens P. Hart Hansen) pasted on to verso of front board. Vague damstain to lower part of vol. 3. Brownspotting to first and last leaves in all volumes, otherwise a nice copy. (8), 572; XIV, (2), 882; XIV, (2), 632 pp.
The uncommon first edition, first issue, of Rokitansky’s landmark work on anatomical pathology. Rokitansky is widely considered the founder of science-based diagnostics, a merit largely based on the present work; The number of original observations in the present work is staggering. Included here are the first differentiation between lobar and lobular pneumonia, the first pathological account of spondylolisthesis, the first accurate description of yellow atrophy of the liver and the correct classification of patent ductus arteriosis as a congenital lesion – all observations that helped the Vienna School (also known as The Second Viennese School of Medicine) to reblossom into world prominence. Virchow famously named him "the Lineé of pathological anatomy". “Rokitansky ranks with Morgagni as among the greatest of all writers on gross pathology. He is said to have performed over 30,000 autopsies himself. His ‘Handbuch’ was for many years pre-eminent among its contemporaries. He foresaw the eventual importance of chemical pathology, at that time non-existent.” (Garrison & Morton). “Rokitansky was a first class anatomist, not the least of his service to pathology being the development of anecropsy method which in its anatomical logic and comprehension of detail insured an inspection of every part of the body in every examination. […] After Rokitansky names of diseases, like pneumonia and typhoid fever, conveyed to the well trained medical graduate an anatomical picture and not as theretofore, a list of symptoms of varying complexity” (Long, A History of Pathology, p. 107). Rokitansky published the volumes of his Handbuch in reverse order, issuing Vol. III in 1842, Vol. II in 1844 and Vol. 1 in 1846.
“Rokitansky extended Laennec’s description of emphysema, improved existing knowledge of pneumonia, noted the perforated gastric ulcer as a special type, and gave a classic description of acute yellow atrophy of the liver, also known as “Rokitansky’s disease.”. The first edition of his Handbuch attempted a revival of humoral pathology, based upon current physiological theory of a “blastemal” or primitive fluid substance from which formed elements were derived; under criticism from Virchow, who called Rokitansky’s hypothesis a “monstrous anachronism,” Rokitansky eliminated his humoral theories from the next two editions of the Handbuch” (Norman 1845).
Norman 1845
Garrison & Morton 2293
Order-nr.: 60411
DKK 20.000,00